Senator Eldridge Secures $550,000 in ARPA Funds for Town of Maynard Projects
Funds will go towards ArtSpace Maynard renovations and repairing Concord - Acton Streets Assabet River Rail Trail Maynard intersection
Maynard, MA - State Senator Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton) has secured $50,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for ArtSpace Maynard, a non-profit community arts center that provides affordable studio space to local artists, and maintains an active community outreach program. He has also secured $500,000 to repair a dangerous intersection, at the corner of Acton and Concord Streets, and the Assabet River Rail Trail by Cumberland Farms.
The Massachusetts State Senate on Wednesday unanimously passed a $3.82 billion bill that directs federal ARPA funding to assist the Commonwealth’s ongoing recovery, with a particular focus on making equitable investments and ensuring that communities disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic are prioritized. Using this framework, the bill delivers targeted, transformational support to critical sectors such as health care, mental and behavioral health, housing security, environment, and workforce development. Among these priorities is a recognition of the toll that the pandemic has taken on the arts community, and the importance of investment in the sector.
“Perhaps no sector of the labor force was harmed more during the pandemic than the artists who work in the creative economy,” said Senator Eldridge. “ArtSpace Maynard faced additional challenges unique to it. I am very pleased that these funds will help reopen the facility to the public, provide artists access to their studios, and further the arts revitalization in Maynard.”
Public access to ArtSpace and its galleries is temporarily restricted due to challenges with renovations to the facility. Of even greater concern, some artists are currently not able to access their studios. The ARPA funds secured by Senator Eldridge will allow renovations to proceed, and the space will once again open to artists and the public.
“Considering the town’s limited resources, I’m grateful for Senator Eldridge’s attention to these significant public safety and property-stewardship concerns,” said Greg Johnson, Maynard Town Manager. “His support through this historic federal funding opportunity directly meets the town’s needs for improved traffic and pedestrian controls as well as its cultural-economy.”
With both the House and Senate having passed their own versions of ARPA spending plans, the two bills must now be reconciled before heading to the Governor’s desk.
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